1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to magnetic storage systems, and more particularly to a slider having bonding pads opposite an air bearing surface and a method for producing the same.
2. Description of Related Art
Typically, a disk drive contains a number of magnetic disks attached to a common spindle for rotation. The surfaces of the magnetic disks have an associated head arm assembly that includes a head gimbal assembly (HGA). The head arm assemblies are generally attached to an actuator for positioning magnetic transducers formed with the HGAs with reference to data tracks on the magnetic disks. An HGA typically comprises a load beam, a flexible element or a flexure, and a slider. The flexure has one end attached to the load beam while the slider is joined to the other end of the flexure. The slider carries one or more transducers at it trailing edge, as is well known in the art. Transducer wires are connected to the transducers to conduct signals between the transducers and head circuitry.
The HGA serves to dynamically adjust the orientation of the slider to conform to the disk surface while the disk is spinning. The topology of the disk surface, though highly polished, is not uniform if viewed at a microscopic scale. Moreover, the disk surfaces are not rotating about the common shaft at a perfectly perpendicular angle. A minute angular deviation would translate into varying disk-to-slider distances while the disk is spinning. For reliable data writing and reading, the slider thus has to faithfully follow the topology of the spinning disk.
Today's storage systems require a smaller overall disk drive height achieved by providing a lower stacking height of the head gimbal assembly (HGA). One critical element of the disk drive is the magnetic recording head. Without the head, the drive cannot read from, or write to, magnetic media. At the same time, the design of the head embodies both mechanical and electrical advances. For example, the head has at least one surface that is patterned and contoured to float above the disk. Additionally, the head must have the necessary electrical integrity to process the subject information.
In the past, disk drive assembly has relied upon adhesives to attach the top (opposite the air bearing surface) of the head to the suspension and solder or metal balls to electrically connect the end bond pads. In a conventional suspension, the electrical connection between a transducer and read/write driver electronics is made by twisted wires that run the length of the suspension load beam and extend over the flexure and slider. The ends of the wires are soldered or ultrasonically bonded to the transducer on the slider. Other systems have used bond pads on the top surface to provide electrical and mechanical connections.
The ability to produce pads on the side opposite the air bearing surface (ABS) is advantageous to the slider fabrication and gimbal attach process. For example, it is helpful to the slider fabrication process if the devices on the slider could be electrically probed while applying pressure to the slider during the lapping process. The advantages to the gimbal attachment process include the possibility to use a flip chip bonding process and reducing or eliminating the need to bend wires and attach to the end of the slider body. However, previous methods for providing pads have been complicated.
It can be seen that there is a need for a slider having bonding pads opposite an air bearing surface and a method for producing the same.